Relevance: GS-1: Poverty and Developmental issues/GS-2: Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections of the population by the Centre and States and the Performance of these Schemes

Key phrases: FRA, Tendu leaves,

Why in news?

• Many tribals have been denied ownership titles over the years

Analysis:

What is FRA?

• The act recognizes and vests the forest rights and occupation in Forest land in Forest Dwelling Scheduled Tribes (FDST) and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFD) who have been residing in such forests for generations.
• The act also establishes the responsibilities and authority for sustainable use, conservation of biodiversity and maintenance of ecological balance of FDST and OTFD.
• It seeks to rectify colonial injustice to the FDST and OTFD who are integral to the very survival and sustainability of the forest ecosystem.

Importance of FRA

• The act looks to right the wrongs of government policies in both colonial and independent India toward forest-dwelling communities, whose claims over their resources were taken away during 1850s.
• The act also has potential of sustainably protecting forest through traditional ways along with providing tribes means of livelihood.
• It expands the mandate of the Fifth and the Sixth Schedules of the Constitution that protect the claims of indigenous communities over tracts of land or forests they inhabit.
• The alienation of tribes was one of the factors behind the Naxal movement, which affects states like Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Jharkhand. The act through identifying IFR and CFR tries to provide inclusion to tribes.
• It has the potential to democratise forest governance by recognising community forest resource rights over an estimated 85.6 million acres, thereby empowering over 200 million forest dwellers in over 1,70,000 villages.

Why it hasn’t realized its potential?

• Implementation of the act remains the biggest challenge as acts related to the environment are not entirely compliant with the law, illegal encroachments have happened as much as that claims have been unfairly rejected.
• As tribals are not a big vote bank in most states, governments find it convenient to subvert FRA or not bother about it at all in favour of monetary gains.
• Unawareness at the Lower level of forest officials who are supposed to help process forest rights claims is high and majority of the aggrieved population too remains in the dark regarding their rights.
• Certain sections of environmentalist raise the concern that FRA bend more in the favour of individual rights, giving lesser scope for community rights.
• There has been deliberate sabotage by the forest bureaucracy, both at the Centre and the states, and to some extent by big corporates.
• Intensive process of documenting communities’ claims under the FRA makes the process both cumbersome and harrowing for illiterate tribals.

Current status

• Ministry of Tribal Affairs had received 42,50,602 claims (individual and community), of which titles were distributed to 46% of the applicants
• Evidence suggests that implementation was better in areas which were fairly close to urban settings or where accessibility was easy.

Why we need to look beyond FRA?

• Many tribal areas are witnessing a decline in the quality of forest produce in their vicinity, thus forcing them to look for other sources of livelihood
• They possess lands (including the lands recognised under the FRA) that are small, of poor quality (particularly lands located on hill slopes) and are not very fertile. The lack of irrigation facilities forces them to depend only on rainfall
• A majority of the tribal communities in India are poor and landless. They practice small-scale farming, pastoralism, and nomadic herding
• On the Human Development Index, the tribal-populated States always rank lower than the national average
• Quality of education received by the youth in the remote districts, the possibility of acquiring meaningful jobs remains thin.

Way ahead

• Schemes and programmes already drafted for the tribal people are implemented in letter and spirit across the country
• Induct people who are sensitive to the cause of tribal people in the decision-making process at every stage
• Livelihoods of the locals would improve if horticulture practices are promoted in addition to bamboo and Aloe Vera plantations with an assured market.
• Medical and ecotourism along the lines of the Kerala model
• Providing skill-based education with assured jobs on a large scale in proportion to the demand would do wonders in these areas

Source: The Hindu

Mains Question:

Q. Explain how diversification and development are keys to ensuring a vibrant and sustainable forest economy. How would it help achieve India’s SDG targets? (15 Marks, 250 Words)